Meta-Puppets

As I've mentioned before on this blog, I have a fascination with child stars. I also have an interest in children's programming -- have maintained that interest since I was a real live child myself. It's a good thing I work in children's publishing so I can call it all research...

Anyway, because I watched a clip from one of the Disney Machine's shows, The Suite Life of Zach and Cody (a show on which it would take me an entire essay to explain my feelings), I was recommended this:



If you're not familiar with videos like these, it was created in a Sims (as in simulated reality) computer game and screen captured. I've never played the Sims, so I don't know how difficult it is to achieve this level of verisimilitude in casting and choreography, but I'm guessing from the five million views and deluge of complimentary comments that it's pretty darn hard.

I love that this is the internet age version of doodling a portrait of your favorite celeb; maybe instead of, maybe in addition to. Fans are "funny" people, and I've been ruminating lately on the myriad ways obsessive fans can both elevate and ruin the object of their fandom.

Not that this Sims music video is doing HSM2 any harm. Au contraire, I think this video actually calls attention (albeit inadvertent attention) to the almost computerized personalities that populated the real movie, and the sickeningly precise hand that went into manufacturing the original product. But as with the original, the fans love the sheen. I know because YouTube said so.

But what did I think of this recommendation? I think I'll take the Disney Robots, humanly and inhumanly weak as they are, over the Sims Virtual Robots, thanks.